Ce Ce | Horse Racing Free Tips

Gamine Waltzes into Ballerina

Michael Lund Petersen's Gamine (Into Mischief), last year's Eclipse champion female sprinter, aims for her fifth straight victory in the GI Ketel One Ballerina S.–a Win and You're In event for the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint–at Saratoga Saturday. Gamine capped her championship campaign with a 6 1/4-length romp in last year's F/M Sprint and she has been largely unchallenged in three starts so far this term. The bay filly opened 2021 with a five-length score in the Apr. 4 GIII Las Flores S. and added the May 1 GI Derby City Distaff S. at Churchill before a 10-length victory in the July 5 GII Great Lady M S. last time out.

“She's filled out and she looks good and she's been working well, so we wouldn't send her unless we thought she was doing really well,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “We're excited about it. She always runs well when she goes back East. She likes the Eastern tracks.”

Gamine, a 'TDN Rising Star,' is a perfect three-for-three at the Ballerina's seven-furlong distance and romped home a seven-length winner of last year's GI Test S. in her only previous start at Saratoga.

“She's just brilliant, just a brilliant filly,” Baffert said. “She's fun to watch and people like watching her run. Fans love those kinds of horses, and they count on them.”

Also invading from the West Coast for the Ballerina is Bo Hirsch's Ce Ce (Elusive Quality). Fifth in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Distaff, the 5-year-old mare opened 2021 with an optional-claimer win going seven furlongs at Santa Anita in April. She bobbled at the break before tiring to fourth in the 1 1/16-mile GII Santa Maria S. May 22 and cut back and returned to the winner's circle with a 3 1/4-length win over Estilo Talentoso (Maclean's Music) in the July 3 GII Princess Rooney S. last time out.

“She came out of her race in Florida in good order and has trained forwardly,” trainer Michael McCarthy said. “This is a race we've had on her calendar for a while.”

Ce Ce won last year's GI Beholder Mile and GI Apple Blossom H. and will be chasing a third Grade I tally Saturday. She comes into the race off a bullet five-furlong drill in :59 flat (1/73) at Del Mar Aug. 20.

“She's always been good. She's caught a couple of racetracks that weren't to her liking, but she's been very good this year,” McCarthy said. “She's wonderful. She is just a treat to train. She enjoys her job and is very classy around the barn. We're very lucky to have one like her. It's a big thrill.”

Godolphin's Lake Avenue (Tapit), winner of the 2019 GII Demoiselle S., narrowly missed out on a second graded victory in both her most recent starts. She lost by a neck when second behind Estilo Talentoso in the June 4 GIII Bed o'Roses S. and was second again by that same margin behind Bell's the One (Majesticperfection) in the July 28 GII Honorable Miss S. last time out.

“She had a good trip the last couple of times. She did get beat both times, but not by much,” trainer Bill Mott said. “Hopefully, she'll put in that same type of effort again this weekend. We're going into a very tough spot, but we want to give her an opportunity in another Grade I. None of these Grade I races on Saturday are easy. They're all tough.”

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Ce Ce Cuts Back to Earn Breeders’ Cup Berth

Southern California-based Ce Ce ventured all the way to Florida to stamp her ticket to the Nov. 6 GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint back at Del Mar. A winner of both the GI Beholder Mile and GI Apple Blossom H. last term, the homebred went winless for the rest of the season, including when fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff Nov. 7. She cut back and gained some confidence with an Apr. 17 optional claiming win going this distance at Santa Anita, but could only manage fourth–again around two turns–in that venue's GII Santa Maria S. May 22.

Unhurried in midpack between rivals early, the chestnut split foes to make a move inside of slow-starting favorite Estilo Talentoso as they stacked up four across the track. Ce Ce leveled off well after switching leads, and cruised away convincingly from there.

“She's pretty impressive. She loves this track, it's a little different than what she's been running at,” winning rider Victor Espinoza said. “Today, she ran her race. They were rolling, the ones in front of me. I know they're going to get tired turning for home, so I just gave her enough time to split the horses.”

Trainer Michael McCarthy has had past success shipping to Gulfstream–he took the 2019 GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. with City of Light (Quality Road), and was third in that event this year with Independence Hall (Constitution).

“I thought we were in a good spot,” McCarthy said from Los Alamitos. “I was hoping to have a bit of a target to run at. I told Victor not to get in a hurry and not rush her out of there and ride her where she was comfortable. We were hoping for a nice stalking trip, and that we did. Around the turn it looked like we had plenty of run. It was just a matter of trying to get outside and finding our best stride, and we did that today.”

He continued, “I thought she was overlooked last year. She won two Grade I races back-to-back. After that we just couldn't find a track that was suitable for her. She was running on tracks in California that were a little bit deep and a little bit loose. She wants one that is a bit firmer and faster, and we found that today.”

McCarthy said he'd map out a plan for his charge after getting her back to California and seeing how she exits Saturday's effort.

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
PRINCESS ROONEY INVITATIONAL S.-GII, $350,000, Gulfstream, 7-3, 3yo/up, f/m, 7f, 1:21.94, ft.
1–CE CE, 126, m, 5, by Elusive Quality
                1st Dam: Miss Houdini (GISW, $187,600), by Belong to Me
                2nd Dam: Magical Maiden, by Lord Avie
                3rd Dam: Gils Magic, by Magesterial
O/B-Bo Hirsch LLC (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy; J-Victor
Espinoza. $197,000. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 13-6-1-2,
$1,113,100. *1/2 to Papa Clem (Smart Strike), MGSW & GISP,
$1,121,190. Werk Nick Rating: C+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Estilo Talentoso, 122, f, 4, Maclean's Music–Bazinga Baby, by
Afleet Alex. ($77,000 Ylg '18 FTKOCT; $95,000 RNA 2yo '19
OBSAPR; $15,000 2yo '19 OBSOPN). O-Medallion Racing, Barry
Fowler, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Little Red Feather Racing &
BlackRidge Stables LLC; B-Mile High Bloodstock LLC (KY);
T-Juan Arriagada. $64,000.
3–Sound Machine, 120, f, 4, Into Mischief–Ava Pie, by Distorted
Humor. ($500,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-e Five Racing
Thoroughbreds; B-Farm III Enterprises (FL); T-Saffie A. Joseph,
Jr. $34,500.
Margins: 3 1/4, HD, 3HF. Odds: 2.70, 1.20, 22.10.
Also Ran: Hallawallah, Pacific Gale, Laura's Light, Heiressall, Thissmytime. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:
Ce Ce is one of 56 graded winners for the late Elusive Quality, and one of 28 graded winners (seven Grade I) for Belong to Me as a broodmare sire. She is one of three highest-level winners by sons of Gone West out of Belong to Me mares–the other two, Jersey Town and Mozu Superflare, are both by Speightstown.

Ce Ce's dam Miss Houdini was also a Bo Hirsch homebred, and annexed the 2002 GI Del Mar Debutante before later producing GII Arkansas Derby and GII San Fernando S. winner Papa Clem. Her 2-year-old colt now named Native Thunder (American Pharoah) was a $200,000 KEESEP buy by Lazy F Ranch. Miss Houdini was subsequently barren to Street Sense and last visited Midnight Lute, though a 2021 foal has not yet been registered.

Second dam Magical Maiden was just a $26,000 2-year-old purchase by Hirsch's father Clement and would go on to take a pair of Grade I races and earn more than $900,000 before being sold for $400,000.

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Ce Ce Punches Her Ticket To Breeders’ Cup At Del Mar With Princess Rooney Victory

At Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla, a spot in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar was up for grabs in the seven-furlong Grade 2 Princess Rooney Stakes. Facing a field that included Bed of Roses Stakes winner Estilo Talentoso and Ouija Board Distaff winner Laura's Light, Ce Ce earned another spot in a Breeders' Cup gate with her 3 1/4-length victory in the Princess Rooney.

At the break, Laura's Light stumbled while the rest of the field got away clean, with Pacific Gale quickest to the lead. Under rider Victor Espinoza, who had won the Smile Sprint just half an hour earlier, Ce Ce stalked the early pace in fourth, content to wait for the final turn to put in her move, while Thissmytime and Pacific Gale briefly battled for the lead, Sound Machine just behind them. Romero Maragh powered Pacific Gale to the lead as they neared the final turn, with Sound Machine making her move just behind them.

Ce Ce and Estilo Talentoso went wide on the final turn as they geared up for their stretch runs, narrowing the gap between them, Sound Machine, and Pacific Gale. They went into the stretch four-wide, but Ce Ce was fastest in the stretch, splitting horses to take an easy lead over Estilo Talentoso and Sound Machine. The winning margin was 3 1/4 lengths with Ce Ce finishing the seven furlongs in 1:21.94. Hallawallah, Pacific Gale, Laura's Light, Heiressall, and Thissmytime rounded out the field.

Find this race's chart here.

The G2 Princess Rooney Stakes is a Win and You're In race for the 2021 Breeders' Cup at Del Mar in Del Mar, Calif. Winners receive a free and guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the corresponding Breeders' Cup race.

Victor Espinoza was thrilled with his mount's performance. “She's pretty impressive. She loves this track, it's a little different than what she's been running at,” Espinoza said. “Today, she ran her race. They were rolling, the ones in front of me. I know they're going to get tired turning for home, so I just gave her enough time to split the horses.”

Trainer Michael McCarthy watched the race at Los Alamitos Race Track in Cypress, Calif., happy with the show she put on in the stretch. “I thought we were in a good spot. I was hoping to have a bit of a target to run at. I told Victor not to get in a hurry and not rush her out of there and ride her where she was comfortable. We were hoping for a nice stalking trip, and that we did. Around the turn, it looked like we had plenty of run. It was just a matter of trying to get outside and finding our best stride, and we did that today.”

Ce Ce paid $7.40, $3.40, and $2.60. Second-place Estilo Talentoso paid $2.60 and $2.20. Sound Machine paid $5.00 to show.

With this win, Ce Ce earns another chance at a Breeders' Cup win after finishing fifth in last year's Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland. Sired by Elusive Quality out of the Belong To Me mare Miss Houdini, Ce Ce was bred in Kentucky by owner Bo Hirsch. The Princess Rooney is Ce Ce's second win in three starts in 2021 and her sixth career victory in 13 starts and $1,113,100 in total winnings.

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Ce Ce Turns Back in Princess Rooney

Bo Hirsch's Ce Ce (Elusive Quality), a multiple Grade I winner going two turns, will look for her first sprint stakes score when shipping cross-country for a try in the GII Princess Rooney S., a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” qualifier, Saturday at Gulfstream.

Laid up after a fourth-place run in the GI Acorn S. as a sophomore in 2019, the homebred returned last February at Santa Anita with a sharp allowance score and kept it rolling with back-to-back top-level tallies in the Beholder Mile S. and Apple Blossom H. She was unable to be a serious factor in four subsequent tries, however, finishing third in the GII Santa Maria S. and GI Clement L. Hirsch S., fourth in the GI Derby City Distaff S. and fifth in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff to close her 4-year-old campaign. Dropped down into allowance company upon return Apr. 17 in Arcadia, the chestnut responded with a 3 1/4-length success, but disappointed when retreating to last in the Santa Maria last out May 22.

“I thought the seven-eighths would be a wonderful distance for her,” trainer Michael McCarthy told the Gulfstream notes team. “It looks like there might be some rain down there this week, and I think she might like a wet-fast racetrack. She had a nice little break after the Breeders' Cup–I thought her race in the Breeders' Cup Distaff was sneaky good. It was always our plan to give her some time off. She's come back good. These racetracks in California have gotten deeper and gotten looser. They don't seem to suit her.”

Ce Ce's two main rivals on paper are last-out stakes winners Estilo Talentoso (Maclean's Music) and Laura's Light (Constitution). The former, who has never been out of the trifecta in 14 career starts, followed a third-place run behind champion Gamine (Into Mischief) in the Derby City Distaff with her first graded score in the GIII Bed O' Roses S. June 4 at Belmont, while the latter, a four-time stakes victress on grass, showed her versatility when dominating the off-the-turf Ouija Board Distaff S. last out May 31 at Lone Star.

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